Impetus
by Ella Unlimited
Summary: "This is it," she whispered, gripping her small dagger. "Are you nervous? The entire fate of humanity is resting on our shoulders." Finn just grinned in response, unsheathing his sword. "I know, let's just kill this thing." What time is it? Adventure Time
1. So It Begins

Prologue:

Bitter tears stung at my eyes as I looked over the ledge of the cliff. I was too late.

_"There were hundreds of us, Finn."_

_"Really? Hundreds?"_

I didn't dare look back. I ran as fast and as far as I could, just trying to get away from the screams and fire I had left behind.

_"How did you live?"_

_"We lived alone, in small families that travelled the land. We were scared, Finn. Every single one of us was scared of communities; of joining together and reforming what there once was. We were scared of each other more than anything."_

I tiredly leaned against a tree, my lungs and sides burning painfully from the nonstop chase. When I heard the twig snap, it took everything I had not to scream.

_"We all lived in a desperate fear, a fear that another war would break out and then there would be no more humans left."_

As I stood there, wheezing and clutching my side, trying to breathe quietly, I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed; I prayed that I was not the only one. That there was someone out there who was just like me. I prayed that I would live, I prayed that I would meet the other humans I knew were out there somewhere.

_"Where are they now? What happened to them all?"_

Thick, hot tears streamed down my face, sobs caught in my throat as I began running again. Would this be my life from now on? A never-ending chase?

_"They're all dead, Finn."_

Humanity needs a hero. I need a hero.

_"Don't worry, I'll keep us safe. I promise."_

What time is it?

Adventure Time.


	2. Rising Hope

Chapter One:

Finn watched with satisfied eyes as the tree exploded. A slow smile began to grow on his face; the wave of heat and the bitter smell of smoke only making the smile grow as time wore on. He and Jake had saved a group of Nom-nums from the tree's carnivorous jaws, and the Nom-nums began to cheer when the fire died down, celebrating that their enemy was gone.

Jake, who had been looming over the small patch of grass, shrunk back down to his normal size, dancing as he walked over to Finn.

"Mission accomplished, dude. Let's head home,"

Finn grinned and nodded tiredly, stretching his sore muscles and slipping his well-used sword into his green backpack.

"Alright, man. See ya'll later, now stay out of trouble, you hear?"

The little creatures, which had been pooling at his feet and climbing up his legs, let out small screams of joy as their small, white hands waved farewell to their heroes.

Finn sighed happily and climbed onto Jake's back, a feeling of euphonium flooding his sixteen-year old body. This was why he was a hero. It wasn't for the princesses, or the violence, not even for the glory. It was for that feeling that made him invincible, the knowledge that he saved lives; the random acts of heroism reassured Finn that he was good.

The two brothers traveled in moderate silence, listening for the sounds of night as the sun dipped down over the horizon and they neared their home.

"Good day, huh?" Jake asked as Finn climbed down from his back and onto the ground, the giant dog shrinking down to Finn's size and putting an arm around his brother.

"The best!" Finn laughed, opening the front door and tossing his backpack to the side.

Jake grinned, heading towards the kitchen upstairs. "We gonna celebrate with some Hazelnut coffee?"

"Yeah man! I'm all about Hazelnut coffee!" Finn yelled, fist pumping the air. Jake just laughed and began making the coffee, watching out of the corner of his eye as Finn began to dance around the living room.

"Would you like some music?" Beemo asked, his electronic voice interrupting Finn's dancing.

"Sure Beemo, play some tunes!"

BMO smiled excitedly and began playing an electronic song, joining Finn's dance party.

"Oh, oh, man... This is my song!" Jake yelled, beginning to dance with his spoon, spilling hot liquid all across the floor. Finn laughed and began dancing across the floor, a smile on his face.

"Yeah, oh yeah Jake! You shake those doughnuts!"

Life was so simple, so happy, and he never wanted it to change.

A couple hours later, night had settled and the room was dark. The only lighting in the house was the lantern hanging above the doorway, and a few candles flickering in the corners, casting eerie shadows across the floor.

Jake was passed out on the couch and Beemo was lying in a heap of dirty laundry muttering something about CPUs to himself. Finn smiled, sipped his mug of coffee, and sat down on the small window seat he and Jake had built a couple summers back. The teenager leaned back onto the pillows, sighing happily as he looked out into the night.

Midnight, oddly enough, was Finn's favorite time of the day. Everything was still and silent, the stars twinkled happily above, and the only thing coming at him was the morning.

Just as he began to close his eyes, a worn blanket pulled up to his chin and the empty mug sitting next to him, Finn heard something. The rustle of leaves outside, the slight squeak of the front door, the clink of moving dishes.

Something was downstairs.

His blue eyes flew open and he groped in the darkness for his extra sword he kept around just in case, hissing Jake's name to try and wake him up.

"Don't worry Lady, Jake's got you..." Finn groaned and rolled his eyes; so much for Jake's help.

The sixteen-year-old slowly creped down the stairs, wincing every time the staircase made a noise. He paused at the bottom, not even daring to breathe as he listened for another sound of the intruder.

"Hello!" he yelled, his voice piercing the silence. "Who's there?"

Silence.

"I know you're in here, just come out!"

Once again, Finn was greeted with a moment of silence before the sound of glass breaking shattered the night. He silently cursed himself as he ran into the kitchen to find glass scattered across the floor and the door wide open.

Without even thinking, the blonde ran across the glass and into the open field next to the tree house.

"Who's there?" He yelled, ignoring the glass as it dug deeper into his bare feet. He heard a rustle ahead of him and the uneven breath of the thing pause, as if it was holding its breath. "I said who's there? I know you're out here!"

And then the chase began again.

Whatever it was, it was slow. Within minutes, Finn had caught up with the thing- but every time he came close, they disappeared. It seemed to weave seamlessly in and out of sight, disappearing one moment and then turning up behind a tree the next. But Finn wasn't about to give up.

And then it made a fatal mistake. It ran into the forest, and started right towards the dead tree. The fallen tree was so large there was no way around, over, or under- it was trapped.

A smile began to form on the blonde's face. Two evil things in one day, it was almost too good to be true.

Finn's grip on his sword tightened as he cornered whatever it was, the fallen tree behind it and the only way out back into the open was through him.

"Whatever you are," Finn whispered, knowing that it was listening. "Just give up, there's no way to escape!" Then he heard the scraping sound of someone attempting to climb the tree- something Finn himself had tried to do a while back but had ended badly.

Either way, it was escaping

Finn let out a yell of pure frustration, blindly throwing his gleaming sword towards the tree in a last attempt to stop whatever it was. There was a scream when metal hit tree, and then the painful noise the creature hitting the ground and it's low moan of pain.

Finn inched forward, attempting to find whatever it was by the weak moonlight. The only sound being his own breath, and then he felt the point of a sword being held to his stomach, the thin fabric of his blue shirt not even hoping to protect him as the tip threatened to break his skin.

He stopped, but the sword continued to dig into his flesh. "Don't come any closer," A new voice whispered, so soft Finn could barely hear it.

He squinted in the darkness, his eyes only having the light of the moon to see his enemy with. Finn's eyes caught onto something, a little sliver of moonlight reflected on his stolen sword as the person moved, illuminating their face momentarily. Or rather, illuminating _her_ face momentarily. A quick flash of the light revealed a dirt-covered girl with patches of clean skin and a pair of green eyes.

The girl's fingers gripped the sword tighter, her nails jagged and dirt saturating her hands. Finn hesitantly raised his hands, signaling his surrender, but also buying himself time to think of a plan. She looked human, but he quickly quashed any excitement that he began to feel- there was no way he could get his hopes up again. Either way, she didn't seem evil- maybe she was just hungry.

"Good," she whispered, her voice raw from being unused. "Just stay there."

Finn sighed, interlocking his fingers behind his head. Then he glanced down at the girl, his eyes shining with a brilliant idea. "Hey, are you evil?"

That startled her. She looked at him cautiously, probably expecting foul play. "No," The girl answered slowly, adjusting her grip on his old weapon. "I'm not evil."

"Oh," Finn said, grinning as he scratched his bare-feeling head; the thought that whoever this was might be lying flitted through his mind, but he quickly dismissed the thought. "Are you lying? Because that's my deal as a righteous hero. I only kill evil things."

She scowled, "I told you, I'm not evil!"

Finn shrugged, "Alright... Since you insist that you're not evil... I think I'm going to head home." The girl's brow furrowed as he waved goodbye and glanced over his shoulder and into the forest. "Eh... Feel free to keep the sword, it's a spare. You're going to need it if the Why Wolves find you,"

"Why Wolves?"

"Yup, they're these evil creatures that are slave to bloodlust and inquiry, they're bloodthirsty beings that will kill anything they can!" He failed to mention that they mainly ate house creatures- but that wouldn't hurt anybody.

She paused, slightly lowering the sword as she looked down at the ground. Finn yawned, then glanced back down at the girl. It was getting early in the morning, the sun was beginning to break through the sky, and he was just plain tired. She was probably just the princess of somewhere, running away from home and to stubborn to ask for help. Nothing that he _really _needed to concern himself with; and it was certainly nothing that a night's sleep for both of them couldn't help.

"Listen, if we're just going to stand here- I think I'm going to go home. It's late and your family is probably missing you," The girl winced, and then looked back up at the sixteen year old.

"Tell me, hero. Are you like they are in the stories? Do you save princesses and slay evil things and help those who can't help themselves?"

Finn shrugged, grinning slightly as he answered. "Of course I am!"

The girl watched him warily for a moment, then the sword dropped to the ground. Finn watched in slight amazement as she began to smile slightly, looking up at him with a different look in her eyes that he couldn't quite name. "Well, I need a hero." She blinked slowly, looking back down the ground before meeting Finn's eyes again. "Are you up for the challenge?"

Finn grinned, "My name is Finn, the human boy."

Her eyes flickered upwards, as though she was shocked by his response. She paused a moment before smiling back at him hesitantly, "My name is Vienna."

Finn walked over to his new partner, kneeling next to her and picking up is sword from the ground. "Well, Vi, do you have somewhere you belong? Do you have a family or something?"

She sighed and shook her head, refusing to meet his gaze. "No, I don't belong anywhere."

"Well then, let's head back to my place. What'd you say?"

Vienna loosely gestured towards her ankle, which- even in the dim lighting- Finn could see was severely swollen. "I hurt my ankle when I fell, I can't move."

"Well," Finn said, adjusting his body so his back was towards her. "Hop on, you're going to be riding the Finn Express."

"No,"

"Well, it's either the Finn Express or the Why Wolves."

He heard Vienna sigh, and then hesitantly wrap her arms around his neck. "If you try to do anything funny..." She warned, slowly bringing her legs around his waist. Finn stood up and slipped his arms underneath her knees, trying to ignore the choking grip the girl had on his throat.

Oh glob. He had forgotten the glass in his foot.

But, like a true hero, Finn gritted his teeth and pushed himself forward. But with every step the tree house seemed farther away, Vienna seemed to gain ten pounds, and the glass seemed to shove itself deeper into his feet.

When they reached the halfway mark, a trail of bloody footprints following them, Vienna finally spoke. "Finn, you mentioned that you were human?"

"Yeah, why?"

She never did answer, instead favoring to lightly place her head on his shoulder. But softly, as they drew closer to the front door and the sky above them began to lighten with the morning sun, he heard her whisper two words.

"Thank you."

_A/N: Hello and welcome to the first chapter of _Impetus_- my first Adventure Time story! But, before we continue, I want to clear up any confused feelings or immediate dislikes: this is NOT a Finn/OC story... Unless you want it to be. In case you are confused (as I'm sure you are- heck, I was confused in the beginning too), this story is all about how you read and interpret it, that's what determines who the main pairings are; not who I, or my lovely beta, want them to be. _

_Anywho, enough about that. Thank you to my reviewers- it really meant a lot to me that you liked my itty-bitty prologue enough to review!_

_I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter and decide to leave me a comment- thank you once again!_

_~Ella_


	3. Everything Changes

Chapter Two:

"She seems alright," Jake stage-whispered to his brother in some attempt to keep their conversation quieter than the mindless chatter that filled the streets. "But why in the world did you decide to trust her? She so..."

"Quiet, yeah, I know. The girl didn't even say anything on our way home." Finn interrupted, glancing at his brother, "But something about her reminds me of... Well, me."

Jake shrugged, stirring his tea again before answering. "I don't know, bro. She's the oddest looking princess I've ever seen,"

"Maybe, but does that mean she's any less entitled to our help? Jake, if you could have seen her last night- I swear she was about to, I don't know, break down or something. Vienna needs us,"

The older dog looked at his younger brother, raising the sugar-glass cup to his mouth. "But what in the world does she need us for?"

Finn remained silent, instead favoring to glance down at his bandaged feet. All the glass had been pulled out by Dr. Ice Cream, and it hurt like heck, but at least the majority of the pain was over. Vienna, on the other hand, had been commanded to stay in the hospital for a couple more hours while the doctor looked over the girl. It was obvious that the red-haired girl had no desire to be left alone with the Ice Cream, but after waiting for her to calm down Finn and Jake were able to make a run for it.

"Oh, hey babe." Jake's voice broke Finn from his slight trance, bringing him back into reality. Lady Rainicorn had decided to join in on the small party, snuggling up to her boyfriend on the other side of the little table.

Bleck. Now they were kissing.

Maybe that's why he hated this little outside café so much- too much kissing going on. But, the coffee was good, so he supposed that made up for it.

Finn sighed and waved to the little snail climbing up the wall. It waved back eagerly.

Was it really just yesterday that he had been saving Nom-nums from an evil tree? That seemed so petty now, compared to the fact that he might actually not be the last human after all. Along with the fact that her ankle was being healed just a couple blocks away- it all just seemed surreal to he sixteen year old.

Then he heard her.

"Finn, you get your butt in here!"

It was as though the entire kingdom had been put on mute- not a sound could be heard as all eyes turned to Princess Bubblegum, who was leaning out a window with a look of pure rage on her pink face.

Lady whispered something to Jake, who turned a bright red as he began to laugh. "You're gonna get it man!"

The hero nervously scratched the back his neck, "For what? I haven't done any–"

"Now, Finn!" A murmur shifted through the small outside café the three were standing in, and Finn began heading towards the door- nervous because somehow, this anger seemed different that the rest. The princess seemed much more livid that their usual fights, this was almost like she was _actually_ mad at him.

But for what? All he'd done today was bring Vienna here, and there wasn't any harm in that- Finn had just wanted to make sure that her ankle was okay. Even though Vi wasn't exactly ecstatic about coming here, he knew she wouldn't do anything bad.

Would she?

The blonde smiled and waved at the guards, who only greeted him with stiff nods as they opened the castle door. Finn had never been afraid of this over-the-top pink castle before, but now, because he _knew_ PB had to be downright furious with him to yell like that, the hero jumped at every shadow and winced at every squeak his shoes made. Finn even pulled his sword when Peppermint Butler accidentally ran into him, a vase of flowers spilling out onto the ground as he shakily held the Butler at sword-point for a moment.

"Oh, Peppermint Butler. Thank goodness it's you, I was a little worried there that you were the–"

"The Princess? Yes, she does seem quite mad at you this time," The little mint finished for the boy, kneeling down at beginning to pick up the fallen flowers. Finn scrambled down to his knees and began to help the Butler pick up the mess.

"So, do you know why–"

"Why she's mad at you? Well, I suppose it could be that you brought a foreigner into the castle without her permission- and then allowed them to use the Royal Doctor without her approval."

Finn looked at Peppermint Butler, realization dawning on his face. "Oh. Well, the reason I didn't ask her was because she was in the lab with her little 'Do Not Disturb' sign hanging in the window- so I didn't. But I told the doctor to tell her!"

The mint shrugged, clearing up the last of the mess. "It's not me you should be explaining this to, hero." But before the boy could respond, the little man waved farewell before disappearing quickly down the hall. "Goodbye, Finn. Best of luck!"

The hero thought for a moment. "Best of luck? Why would I– Oh. You're right behind me, aren't you, PB?"

"You're darn right I am, and I want an explanation. You _know_ that you can't bring strangers into the Kingdom, I don't care what their problem is. They're not allowed without my permission!"

Finn signed, standing up and turning around towards the Princess. "Listen, I know that I broke the rules, but I was for a really good reason–"

PB interrupted, her voice rising as she looked at the boy. "I don't care, Finn! You betrayed my trust and I have to remove both you, and whatever this thing is from my Kingdom at once!"

"Will you just listen to me?" Finn begged, trying to suppress his growing anger. She wasn't even letting him explain!

The princess scoffed, her voice growing louder as her fury spilled over. "No, I will not let you tell me any lies! Guards, guards I need you to remove Finn and his little–"

"She's another human!" Finn yelled as loud as he could, his voice echoing off the walls and repeating back towards his ears. _She's another human, human, human_.

On the bright side, PB no longer looked angry, more shocked than anything. It was as though she had been hit with an ice beam, frozen in time as her eyes widened in disbelief. "What? I–"

Finn cleared his throat, his voice much softer when he spoke again. "At least I think she's another human, I'm not a hundred percent sure- but she seems just as human as I do."

What PB said next shocked him the most.

"Can I meet her?"

The boy shrugged, a little flabbergasted that she had even asked. I mean, this was her castle- right? Why was she asking if she could meet the human girl- why was she asking him as though he actually had some control over Vienna. "I- I mean I guess. If she wants to meet you then I'm cool with it."

The Princess smiled and looked at him, a new gleam in her eye. "Wonderful! I'll just need a lock of hair."

"Wait, what?" Finn screeched, his hands flying up to his hat; jamming the fabric tighter over his golden locks. No one touch his golden locks. No one.

Bubblegum rolled her eyes and held out her hand. "Just give me some of your hair, Finn."

The sixteen year old grumbled bitterly before plucking a single stand of hair from his head, wincing from the minor pain.

"You're such a baby. I'll be right there, I just have to grab some stuff from my lab, I'll meet you at the room. Okay?"

Finn nodded and watched as PB quickly hurried down the hall, the boy stood still for a moment longer, slightly in a daze from PB's sudden change of emotion. He slowly shaking his head in some attempt to clear his mind as he made his way towards the medical ward.

The teenager slowly wandered the halls, pausing every once and awhile to peek into the various rooms lined up neatly in the hall. Finn couldn't help but smile at the memory of the summer the Princess decided that the Candy Kingdom needed a 'hospital' like the humans had created before the Mushroom War. It had been six months of hard labor; and after months of complaining, sore muscles, and the threat of being dog tired for the rest of Finn's life- the end result was fantastic. Fifteen rooms in a new wing of the Candy Castle in addition to the original 'Medical Hall', five new doctors had been trained, and the health of the Candy people had improved greatly.

Then he noticed the door at the end of the hall, soft sunlight spilling out into the hallway with the muted sounds of movement coming from inside. Finn stood in the doorway, watching Vienna silently as she looked out the and onto the Candy Kingdom.

She looked human enough, the way her hair was a bright red color- but it emitted no heat. The fact that, as he carried her the night before, his skin did not stick to hers as it would if she were candy. She didn't smell of sweets, only of sweat, and Jake _had _mentioned casually that she was the oddest looking princess he'd ever seen.

Hope struggled to escape from the tight grip Finn kept it under, daring him to wonder. But all the false identities, all the rejection and lies kept it from getting too far. They kept him from wanting to know- some things, in Finn's opinion, were best kept unknown. And even if she was human... What then? She probably had a family, somewhere she belonged, and people who missed her. Either way, odds were she would be gone within the next few days.

Finn shook his head; all these thoughts were messing with his mind. He knocked on the doorframe, smiling enthusiastically when she cautiously looked over her tensed up shoulder towards him.

"Hey! How're you doing, Vi?" Vienna had slowly began to relax as Finn came over and sat down next to her.

The girl shrugged, tucking a piece of her hair behind an ear. "I've been been worse," There was a moment of silence before she spoke again, Vienna lifting her hand to the glass as she looked back out onto the kingdom. "It reminds me of my childhood- or rather something that I had always longed for in my childhood. A world of bubbles and balloons, streets made of chocolate and trees of peppermint."

Finn looked at her, then ventured into a question. "So do you like it here?"

Vienna looked back at Finn. "No, I don't like it. Everything is too perfect, too wonderful, too fake. It's hard to believe this kind of a place exists when just outside this land–"

"You must be Vienna," PB said, as she walked into the room. "My name is Princess Bubblegum, you can call me PB if you'd like."

No response, just a nervous glance at Finn before Vi turned her attention to her bare feet.

"She's shy," Finn attempted to explain as PB began to walk over to the two, a thin needle in her hand. The princess paused for a moment, plucking a single, red hair from the chair before continuing on her path.

PB shrugged at Finn, standing in front of them as she spoke. "That's alright, would you mind if I took a little blood? I don't need much, it's for science."

Because that explained everything.

"Why don't you take my blood first, PB? That was Vi can see what you're going to do," The Princess shrugged, leaning over a gently pricking his thumb and collecting a few drops of blood in a tube of some sort. Finn smiled at Vienna, "Your turn."

The girl slowly stuck out her thumb, winced when she was pricked, and watched as PB wrapped a band-aid around the minuscule wound. "There," Princess Bubblegum said happily as she looked at the blood. "That wasn't so hard. I have to go run to my lab, I will be back momentarily."

Then she was gone. Finn couldn't help but wonder what she was going to use the blood for- maybe to confirm she Vi was human or not.

He hoped Vi was human. He really did.

"You don't have to treat me like I'm a child, you know. Just because I don't easily trust people doesn't mean I'm stupid or something, it just means I don't generally trust people." Vienna whispered softly, her gaze back towards the Kingdom.

Finn blinked, "Oh, yeah. Sorry, I didn't know if you'd ever gotten your finger pricked before or something- I won't let it happen again." Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Vienna grin slightly. Which made him smile for some reason.

There was a knock at the door, "Hey, Finn, could you come here for a second?"

"Sure, I'll be right there, Princess." The sixteen year old got up, and then looked down at Vienna. "I'll be right back, I promise." The red-haired girl just nodded and watched at his left the room, the door closing behind him.

PB was leaning against the wall, a sheet of paper being held in her shaking hands as she held it out for Finn. "I double checked." she said softly, looking at Finn cautiously. When she noticed is confusion she shook her head. "Just read it," PB whispered softly as he took the paper.

The blonde scanned the first few lines, just a bunch of random letters in some sequence. Then his eyes found what he was looking for, and the paper floated down towards the ground.

_100% Human Female_

_Age: 16_

As Finn leaned against the door, shock taking over and his legs no longer able to support his weight- one thought ran through his mind.

_I'm not alone._

* * *

_A/N: Hey there :) Here is the second chapter of Impetus, I hope that you enjoyed! Thank you so much for the reviews, it really means a lot and it honestly helps me keep motivated to write (as with almost every other author on this site... does anyone else agree?)_

_Anyway, if you haven't noticed by now, I update regularly on Sunday mornings unless otherwise noted. So no need to ask when the next update is! I've never done the regular updating thing with my other stories- I'm curious to see how this will all work out :D_

_Well, that's about it. Hope you guys have a good week :)_

_Reviews are always appreciated,_

_~Ella_


	4. Never Again the Same

_I'm not alone._

_I am not alone._

_Alone..._

_She's here._

_Vienna..._

_She's another human._

_There's another human!_

_Vienna is a human... Just like me._

_Just _like_ me._

_And she's here._

Finn's world would never be the same.

He wasn't the last human.

The world seemed to spin, Finn's eyes refusing to focus on any one thing as he slid down the wall. He felt himself take off his hat and run his fingers through the greasy blonde hair hiding underneath. Finn struggled to breath, and he was faintly aware of PB kneeling next to him, shaking his shoulders and saying something; but everything seemed a world away.

_I'm not alone._

After all these years of thinking that he was the last human. After carelessly joking around about his race and secretly wishing that he were like everyone else. Like anybody else. After having his hopes crushed more times than he would care to remember, this was it. She was here. Vienna was here.

"Finn, Finn can you hear me?" He felt Princess Bubblegum place a hand on his arm, her flesh sticking slightly to his.

"Hwsthiposbe?"

"What?"

He tried again. "Hoistispossble?"

"Finn, I can't understand you. What are you saying? Do you need Jake?"

Finn felt himself numbly nod, wishing nothing more than for his brother to be right beside him. Jake would understand what he was saying. He would understand what Finn was feeling.

What seemed like hours later Jake finally appeared, rushing to his brother's side as tears began to leak down Finn's face. His vision beginning to fade in and out as the teenager attempted to breathe normally.

"What's wrong, Finn?"

There was some low murmuring, Finn couldn't understand what Jake and PB were saying but he was certain it had something to do with himself, Vienna, and something about being 'in shock'.

But the only thing that Finn could think about was the fact that there was another human. _Another human..._

Finn felt Jake sit next to him, his presence calming and soothing to the distraught teen. The two brothers sat for some time, Jake eventually shrunk down to a smaller size and crawled into his younger brother's lap; allowing Finn to rhythmically pet him as the sun began to set.

After deciding he was emotionally and physically drained, Finn unconsciously fell asleep. Jake remained curled up in Finn's lap, watching his younger brother with concerned eyes as Finn's breathing began to even out- the dog never once taking his gaze off the human boy.

When the sleeping boy finally awoke, Jake grinned and climbed out of his lap and onto the floor next o him. "You feeling better?"

Finn shrugged, slowly raised an arm to his face, attempting to wipe away the dried tears as he crammed the white hat onto his head. "I don't know. It's kinda a shock, you know? Suddenly knowing that I'm not the only human..."

The older brother smiled gently, patting Finn's shoulder. "Yeah... I really don't understand what you're going through to be honest. But know that I'm always here for you,"

Finn took a deep, shuttering breath, he felt as though he had just woken up from some type of nightmare- but he had never been happier. It was weird. "Thanks, bro."

"So, you gonna go in and see her? You've been conked out for some time, what's-her-name is probably getting worried."

"Her name is Vienna, and you're right." Finn whispered, hanging his head as he attempted to erase the still-lingering evidence of is sob-fest.

Jake chuckled, offering Finn a hand. "Of course I am!"

The blonde just laughed quietly and took his brother's hand, pulling himself upright. The two stayed silent for a moment before they began to walk towards Vi's door.

When they reached it, Finn's hand hovered over the doorknob to Vienna's room. He almost didn't want to see her again, just the knowledge that his suspicions were correct was enough shock to last the adventurer the rest of his life- who knew what actually _seeing_ her again would do to him.

But he _needed_ to see her, he had so many questions that he needed answered- where had everyone disappeared? Why had his parents abandoned him? Were there more people in other parts of Ooo? Why had she left? And most importantly, where did he belong?

So, maybe she couldn't exactly answer that last one, but Finn had been struggling to answer that for years- never quite feeling like he belonged in Ooo, but not knowing where else to go. This place _was_ his home. This was the place where he grew up, made friends, and lived. But... He never quite fit anywhere. He wasn't like the rest of them... And now he realized he never would be.

Maybe Vi could help him figure that out.

But opening that door would change everything. Finn now had the responsibility that he never knew before- he had the responsibility of belonging to something. Something greater than himself. The teenager knew that he could ignore everything, turn around, and go home. Forget that there had even been another human, claim the shock was too much and he had needed to leave.

Finn knew this. Maybe that's why, instead of turning the doorknob, his hand was hovering over the candy metal- unable to make himself open the door.

Then, he felt a paw on his shoulder. The blonde slowly looked towards his brother, and he immediately felt stronger. His brother believed in him, Finn knew that Jake would always stand by his side- no matter what.

Jake smiled, "You've fought monsters, goblins, and even Death himself. I think you can handle this,"

"Thanks, bro."

The dog just answered with a knowing smile, patted Finn on his back, and whispered softly, "I'll wait for you outside,"

The door slowly creaked open, and the boy peeked inside. She was sitting right where he had left her, now slowly eating a piece of cinnamon bread as she watched the sun set on the Candy Kingdom. Vienna's eyes immediately snapped towards the door, where they rested on Finn. Her entire demeanor relaxed as he stumbled towards her, Vienna put down the bread and stood up- wincing slightly when she leaned on her ankle.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Finn finally whispered after stumbling to her window seat.

Vienna shrugged, looking the teenager in the eye. "I thought you knew, I didn't realize you lived in a Turvy."

"A what?"

She gave Finn a grim sort of smile, "I'll explain that later."

There was a moment of silence before Finn spoke, his voice quiet and slightly cracked. "I thought I was the last one,"

Then he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her in a hug, tears beginning to fall down his cheeks as he buried his face in her hair. Slowly, cautiously, and just like the night before, Vi lifted her arms around Finn's waist- placing her face in his shoulder as tears began to well in her own eyes.

They stood there, for who knows how long, just holding each other for support. Then Vienna's voice, soft and thick with tears broke the silence.

"Me too, Finn. Me too,"

_A/N: Intimate hug? Yeah, I know. Sorry about that, though that is the ONLY 'romantic' thing that will occur in this series. You know, despite the flirting of Flame Princess and such- but that's for another chapter ;P_

_Anywho, shorter chapter- but I thought it was a lot more powerful that way. I like it, and I hope you do to! _

_Just a note, if there is any week that I could possibly be late on updating, it will probably be this coming week. I have finals, essays, and projects galore and I am frankly about to cry from all the stress. But, I will try my hardest to crank out a wonderful chapter despite the conditions and deliver it to you, the wonderful readers! _

_Thank you so very much for the reviews, they mean a lot and I honestly enjoy reading them :D_

_That's all folks!  
_

_Reviews are always appreciated._

_~Ella _


	5. It all goes down at the Tree House

The tree house; a great, majestic, powerful thing that stood in the middle of an open field, surrounded by tall grasses that swayed in the wind and the boundless opportunities that always seemed to find the two brothers. The woods nearby were teeming with hundreds of monsters, just _waiting _to be slain; as well as the hidden lake that Finn hadn't even told Jake about.

Yes, the Treehouse was their home, their sanctum, their hideaway. A place where Finn and Jake could relax and recuperate- the place was just as much a part of them as each other were. The place was sacred to the two.

Now, as Jake walked back to the home with Finn and a bandaged Vienna riding on his enlarged back, and the treehouse ahead of them, the trio couldn't help but notice a change. The trek to the tree house no longer felt easy and carefree to the brothers and their guest. Everyone felt nervous and on edge, as though someone had electrically charged the air. Everyone felt as though someone was watching. But, every time Finn told Jake to stop so he could investigate, nothing was there.

"Dude, it's probably nothing. Let's just get home- it's been a long day."

Stubbornly, Finn agreed and begrudgingly sat back down next to Vienna on his brother, grumbling to himself but keeping his sword close by. Vienna, on the other hand, stayed silent- her eyes flickering every now and then into the forest whenever there was a rustle. Her hand shifting closer and closer to her uninjured ankle- where Finn was suspicious the other human was harboring a weapon of some sort.

Slowly, the Treehouse came into view- the tall tree and rustling leaves only reminded Finn of his exhaustion. No sleep the night before and a brief unconsciousness was all Finn had and the only thing the teenager wanted was to curl up in his bed and sleep for three days.

Yeah, that sounded good right about now.

"Here we are! Home sweet Treehouse!" Jake sang, shrinking down low enough for the two riders to jump down. Finn hopped down and held out his hand to help Vienna, who simply ignored the gesture and slid down gingerly onto the ground by herself.

Finn shook off the rejection easily, Vi probably just hadn't noticed his hand. The boy ginned, practically running for the door before turning around and throwing his arms into the afternoon air. "This is it. The place you tried to rob last night, a lot more epic in the daylight, huh?"

Vienna didn't answer, instead flushing lightly as she slowly made her way towards the house- ignoring the offers to help from both Finn and Jake. "I can do this," she whispered softly when Finn gently supported her elbow, helping her hobble towards the Tree House.

"I know you can, Vi. But let me help you," Finn whispered back, closing the door behind them, grinning as they met eyes. "That's why I'm the hero, right?"

The red-haired girl scowled and looked away.

Jake made an exaggerated sniff before making a face, "I don't know about you, but somebody stinks." He paused before giving Vienna a pointed look. "And their name starts with a V- and ends in an -ienna."

Vienna's head snapped towards the dog, her face hard as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Sorry I've been too busy running for my life to stop and take a bath."

Jake just shrugged, plopping down on the couch and grabbing Beemo's controller and letting all his fat pile up. "I'm just saying, if you want to stay here, you better clean up."

"Who says I need to stay? I was doing just fine on my own,"

"Whatever, just take a bath."

Finn took this opportunity to jump into the conversation. "He's right, Vi. You'll probably feel better after you clean up. Bathroom's upstairs and to the left,"

The girl nodded, scowling at Jake before carefully making her way towards the creaky stairs.

"I'll be upstairs with a towel in just a sec, okay?" Finn said, smiling when Vienna paused. She nodded and slowly went up the stairs. Finn turned towards his brother, "What the glob, man? Why are you making fun of Vi?"

The dog shrugged, his eyes slowly looking up from Beemo's video towards his younger brother. "I think we should just let her do her own thing. You heard the chick, she was doing fine on her own, so why does she need to stay here?"

Finn groaned and flopped over the edge of their couch. "You just gotta trust me, she really does need our help." Then, in a lower voice, "She just might not know it yet."

Jake just eyed his little brother, "Okay man, whatever you say. But I'm just throwing out there that she's not exactly the type of princess you're used to helping." Finn threw his brother a dirty look before standing and jogging up the stairs, quickly snagging a clean-ish towel before knocking on the bathroom door.

"You there, Vienna?"

The door slowly creaked open, revealing Vienna, before it swung open. "I don't know how to work the shower,"

The boy laughed, entering the small room and beginning to run the water. "Okay, so when the water gets high enough just pull this lever-thing down to stop the water. You're welcome to use any of the shampoos and stuff—" Finn paused momentarily as he squished a spider that had been crawling up the stall. "There's a towel over there that you can use, and I guess I'll find you some clothes..." He looked at her smaller body, frowning as he tried to imagine some clothes that might fit her. "Or maybe I can just find some of my old stuff, that could work."

Vienna smiled hesitantly, "Thanks, Finn."

The blond grinned as he walked out the door, turning around quickly as he left. "No problem, that's what humans do for each other, right?" Vienna didn't answer, but instead looking down at the rushing water with a vacant stare. Finn smacked his lips awkwardly, "Alright... Well... Enjoy cleaning up, I guess."

The red-haired girl nodded, her eyes still trained on the water as the door slowly closed shut.

After nearly an hour, Finn finally found some old clothes of his ticked away in a box. During that hour, the eerie feeling from before, the unknown presence, was still looming over his head; making him check the window over few minutes to make sure no one was watching. There wasn't anybody.

None the less, Finn's soft yellow sweater and worn shorts along with a spare comb and half a toothbrush made up Vienna's new belongings. Jake had been no help during the search, instead favoring to fall asleep in a box of old pillows he'd found while Finn searched.

"Dude, I know you like her and everything, but don't you think there's something funky about her?"

"Maybe, but Vienna has to stay here until her ankle heals. At least."

"Finn..."

"La la la la la, I can't hear you, Jake!"

Finn had finally found someone like him– and the teenager was determined to keep her here as long as he could.

The teenager jogged across the bridge linking the 'attic' and main sections of the treehouse, slowing down as he walked down the stairs and to the bathroom door. Finn knocked softly, piling the supplies in one hand. "Vienna, are you done?"

The door opened to reveal Vienna, wrapped securely in a towel along with a bathtub of filthy water. "I didn't know how to drain the water, I was just about to go and find you."

"Well then, go change in that extra room and I'll take care of this. Later we'll make everything burritos without Jake," Finn grinned down at Vienna, who just shrugged and slowly took the bundle from Finn's outstretched hand.

"Thank you, Finn."

The boy grinned, scratching his arm as he slowly backed into the bathroom. "That's what friend's do for each other." He listened as the human walked down the hall and closed the spare room's door.

Finn didn't see the ice that slowly begin to creep out from underneath the door.

Finn didn't hear the window's lock become unlocked in the room next door.

Finn didn't feel the way the air slowly dipped down in temperature.

Finn didn't know at the Ice King had heard the rumors and come to investigate for himself.

But, Finn heard the mirror shatter.

He heard Vienna scream.

Finn knew what had happened before he had even laid eyes on the room. He knew what the Ice King had done before he shoved his entire weight into the doorframe so he could see the scene.

There they were, a blue and red spec in the sky; and as he leaned out the window, the enraged teenager only had one thing to yell. "What the glob, Ice King!"

The old man paused, responding quickly before disappearing into the clouds. "She's my new princess!"

* * *

_A/N: Whoot! I met the Sunday deadline! Something I could NOT have possibly done without my amazing beta, FingerFallingUpwards, and her speedy beta-ing skills._

_Meh. I think it's okay for being written while bedridden and studying for 6 exams- what do you think?_

_Well, I'll keep it short and sweet. Thank you so much for the reviews, they're fantastic, you're fantastic, we're all fantastic! Hope you all have a great week- good luck to all the students out there studying for finals. I feel you pain!_

_Reviews are always appreciated!_

_~Ella_


	6. Icy Handcuffs

"So the Ice King just smashed through the window?"

"Yup,"

"And he just scooped her up and flew out?"

"Yup,"

"Why are you being so quiet?"

Finn stayed silent for that question, his right hand gripping the sword he had grown accustomed to carrying in his backpack. A slow rage was beginning to build inside his body, he and Jake had put up a bunch of stuff the Ice King had done but this... This was going too far.

"I don't know man… But this time the Ice King has gone too far- you know? Vi didn't do anything to him, she's not even a princess, and then BAM!" Finn used his arms for emphasis "- He just takes her away. I dunno, it just…" He paused, looking off into the landscape. "It feels wrong. Like she's _my_ responsibility to take care of- not any one else's. And I feel as though I've already failed."

There was a moment of silence before Jake answered his younger brother- his voice quieter than normal and soft, as though he was talking to a confused animal. "Finn… how long have we known her? A couple of hour's maybe? Why are you suddenly so protective over this one chick?" There was a longer pause, Finn's face growing harder and harder the longer his brother spoke. "Is it because she's human? Do you feel like-"

"You wouldn't understand!" Finn screamed suddenly, "You don't know what it's like to be the only one and then… and then suddenly someone else is there. You can't understand because you have all of this," He gestured to Ooo, "You belong here, but me? I don't belong anywhere!" The teenager's voice echoed off the mountains, the full force of his words hitting his older brother in the face like a slap- causing the older dog to stop just before the icy terrain.

"Dude, what's wrong?"

For once, the blonde was a loss of words. After his outbreak he was left exposed and raw, the reality of how he actually felt finally reaching him. Jake's question was left, suspended in the air before he finally croaked out an answer. "I- I don't know, Jake. I really don't know."

The two traveled in silence, the wind and cold snow repeatedly attacking them- as though the Ice King himself had sent the elements against the adventurers. Finn shivered involuntarily, pulling his newer green sweater over his head- relishing the warmth the wool brought his body for a moment. Jake, on the other hand, had no sweater. Instead, his big feet were crushing ice and trampling over rocks as the dog climbed up the mountain; each step bringing more pain and cold.

But they pushed on.

"Finn, buddy?" Jake finally ventured, the Ice King's castle finally coming into view. "Are you really okay?"

The human nodded, unable to trust himself with words right now. He had just screamed at his brother- who was his _best friend_, over what? Some human girl, that's what.

Finn shivered once again, but not because of the frigid air. He had that feeling one again that he was being watched, that someone's eyes were analyzing his every move.

Finn didn't like that feeling.

Finally, as they neared the Ice Castle, they could hear voices echoing off the ice walls. Finn and Jake hid behind a bolder in the snow, a rush of adrenaline pumping through their veins as the Ice King spoke.

"Now, what are you princess over?" Finn's hand tightened on Jake's fur, but the Ice King continued. "Perhaps the Princess of Thieves? Yes… you do fit the description… Although I wouldn't want a thief in the house, but beggars can't be choosers- am I right?

There was a sigh before Vienna spoke, "Look, I don't know who you are, or why you're so obsessed with princesses; but I keep telling you- I'm not a princess!"

Finn peeked in through the window, his eyes searching the scene before him. Vienna was strapped to a chair, ice encircling her wrists and ankles and a few new cuts on her face. The Ice King, much more disgruntled, had rips in his outfit and his beard had chunks of sleet caught in the dirty strands.

The blond realized, quite quickly, Vienna had put up a fight. She had tried to escape, but failed. That thought, oddly enough, brought a smile to his lips. Vi was a fighter like him.

"I know, you keep telling me that. But it's obvious you're a princess… Why else would Finn and Jake be keeping you locked away in their tree house? I've been watching you my dear…"

Vienna snarled, "Pervert!"

The Ice King just laughed, brushing away the insult easily. "Don't worry, you'll like it here. I promise. You just need to tell me what kingdom you're from so I can send out the wedding invitations to your family and everything can be perfect!" The Ice King said with a flourish of his hand, giving what he must have thought was a dazzling smile.

Vienna groaned, shifting in her seats as she tried to break the ice that kept her trapped. "I keep telling you, I'm not a princess! I'm a-"

"She's a Human, Ice King. Just like me," Finn's voice surprised himself, popping up out of nowhere. The old man turned his head to face the young teenager, anger flashing across his face.

"How dare you accuse my new wife of being a human! Isn't it obvious that she-" Ice King looked at Vienna suspiciously, who was looking at Finn, who, in turn, was glaring at the Ice King. "Oh... Well…" The Ice King paused, looking at Vienna even closer, his breath hitting her disgusted face. "It does appear as though she's human."

Vienna struggled once again to get away from the King, "I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen!"

The Ice King examined Vienna, the girl squirming under his gaze as Finn unsheathed his sword- Jake shrinking down and stepping into the window. "I don't like you," The Ice King whispered, so quiet only the person closest to him, Vienna, could understand his mutterings. "Something's following you… Even now. You live like prey, afraid of your own shadow, don't you."

Vienna's eyes widened, and then quickly hardened. "You don't know anything."

"Go," He whispered, the ice melting off Vienna, releasing her. "Go, and get out of here!" The old man yelled, pushing the red head out of the chair. "Get out!" Vienna scrambled across the floor and her knees, unable to walk fully on her ankle; Finn quickly helped her onto Jake's back as the Ice King advanced. The man roared, eyes furious and his crown seemed to gleam a little brighter in the sunlight. "I said get out, I don't want it coming after me- do you hear? Get out!"

Jake squeezed himself out of the window and across the snow, back towards home. Finn looked back, to find Ice King leaning out the window with his fist shaking- his words lost to the roaring wind.

"Dude, I've never seen Ice King like that- what do you think happened?"

Finn's gaze turned to Vienna, who was standing with her back to the blond, arms crossed as she looked out into the horizon. Her voice, nearly a murmur under her breath, caught his attention. "I need to get out of here,"

He ignored her, deciding to answer Jake instead. "I don't know, man. I really don't."

* * *

_A/N: Hey guys! Long time no see, huh? I'm sorry, but... Unlike most people summer is actually harder for me to update during- sorry!_

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter, hope it stirs some questions in your mind, and I hope it was good. Thank you so much for your patience, hope you guys have a great weekend :)_

_~Ella_


	7. Topsy-Turvy

Finn paced the floor of the meeting room in the Candy Castle, repeatedly removing his hat, running his fingers through his filthy hair, and then replacing the garment. He had rushed over here as soon as the trio had gotten home, mumbling something about needing to see PB. Deep in his gut, Finn know something was going on— and he needed to discuss it with the smartest person he knew. "Something's not right. The Ice King does not usually give up that easily- and he never passes up a fight. The old coot said something to Vienna before he let her go- but no matter how many times I ask she refuses to talk. All she wants to do is sleep. I-i-is that normal?"

Sitting calmly in her chair, Princess Bubblegum observed the troubled youth. He was quite a bit more distressed than usual, and the princess suspected it had to do with that human girl. It was a bit odd for the boy to travel to the Candy Kingdom alone- without his brother that is. So when Peppermint Butler rushed into her room, claiming Finn needed to speak to her alone, the Princess quickly set her experiment aside and met her knight in the conference room.

"Finn," she began slowly, looking at the blue-eyed teen before continuing. "I've been meaning to tell you something. Smaller kingdoms have been attacked- the citizens savaged by a beast that no one can seem to name. It's been roaming around Ooo and attacking innocent people..." The Princess paused, "It needs to be stopped."

PB fell silent and watched as Finn processed the new information. "What are they describing this beast as?"

"No survivor has been able to sum up the creatures appearance. All they can say is that it uses your worst fears against you, and as of now– no one has been successful in stopping it's rampage."

"Well... It hasn't faced me yet. And I never run away!"

The princess just smiled, walking over to the teenager and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I would never ask you to run, Finn. That would insult you, and I know that. No," The pink woman began, turning Finn so he looked at her. "All I ask, is that you- the Great Hero of Ooo- go to the remaining kingdoms and assure that their defenses are well prepared."

Finn blinked, "That's it?"

"And," she added, looking at Finn with serious eyes. "If you happen to come across the monster- you have to kill it. Whatever it is, it is dangerous and deadly. It needs to be stopped before more people are hurt,"

Finn nodded, his hand touching the sword strapped to his back. "Of course, PB. This monster is as good as gone."

* * *

Finn sighed, sitting down next to Beemo on their clutter table. Handing Jake a slip of paper PB had given him as Finn had left the castle. "I visited the Candy Kingdom this morning and PB said there was a monster attacking the outer kingdoms of Ooo."

Jake looked up at his brother, his normally cheerful face transformed into something much more serious. "Do you think it could be The Linch, man? Cause that's one tough mamajamma..."

The teen shook his head, "Yeah, I know man. But whatever it is, this'll be one of our toughest fights. My guts are telling me that much–" The teen explained, leaning against the table.

There was a moment of silence as the two guys mulled over their thoughts; Jake eventually looked up at his younger brother "So what does she want us to do about it?" The dog asked, looking over the list of kingdoms on the slip of paper.

"She wants us to go and check on all of those kingdoms- make sure that their defenses are up and prepared. And," he stopped, looking in his brother's eyes. "She wants us to kill it if we get the chance. It's already ruined several kingdoms and destroyed nomadic tribes in the further grasslands and forests… We can't allow this thing to keep terrorizing Ooo, you know?"

Jake nodded, scratching his head. "Yeah, but what about…. You know who?"

Finn shrugged, scratching his arm as his answered his brother. "The entire quest should only take a few days, PB said that Vienna welcome to stay at Candy Kingdom while we're away- or she could join us. Peebs said it was up to us,"

"So…?" Jake asked, prolonging his 'o' just to annoy his younger brother.

The blond looked up at him, "I think that we should-"

"Leave her,"

"Take her."

Jake looked at his brother earnestly, "There's no way we can take her. First of all, her ankle; she's only been healing for a couple of days. There's no way she'll be able to walk by then! Secondly, something about that crazy chick is not right. I don't know what it is… But my doggy senses always tingle when I'm around her,"

"All the more reason we should take her," Finn argued back. "That way, we can keep an eye on her while also doing our hero duties."

The yellow dog looked at his brother before giggling like a little pup. "You said duty… As in duty duty!"

Finn groaned, grabbing his brother's shoulders. "Look, something inside of my gut is telling me that she needs to go with us. As in there's no way I can leave her behind,"

"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" Jake said, looking at his brother. "We can take her, but she's slow. We'll have to split up the kingdoms and just meet up at the end."

Slowly, Finn's face changed. Something was telling him that wasn't a good idea- that the two brothers shouldn't separate and leave as individuals. No... Something was telling him they had to stick together. "I don't know man... That doesn't seem like a good idea for some reason."

Jake easily dismissed his younger brother with the wave of his paw. "It'll be fine. We'll just be separated for the night- then we can meet up at Wildberry's place for some victory pie!"

"That does sound pretty awesome..."

"See, I told you!"

Finn sighed, tugging on his hat childishly as he stuck out his bottom lip- thinking. "But, Jake..."

Jake sighed, "Dude. Grow a pair and just go on the quest with Vienna; maybe you could stop at Marceline's while you're over checking on the Fire Kingdom."

"Nah, Marcie's visiting her friends in the Nightosphere for the week..." Finn paused, he rest of his brother's words sinking into his brain. The teenager suddenly became a violent shade of pink, then quickly turned white- his voice becoming higher and much more strained. "Did you say I would be visiting the Fire Kingdom?"

The dog nodded, grabbing Beemo's controller and waking up the sleeping game console. "Yup- it's on the list."

"Can't you go?"

Jake snorted, "Are you kidding me? I'm banned from the Fire Kingdom, remember?"

Finn groaned, "Come on! Can't you go?"

"Nope, I guess you'll have to see her again... Come on Finn. It's been almost a year now- it's time to move on."

The teenager quickly averted his eyes, the small noises of Jake's resumed game filling the awkward silence. Silent thoughts began to well in his mind when he thought about her- that beautiful, vibrant, spontaneous, crazy girl that had undoubtably stolen his heart. Who still had his heart. But she was no longer his; she could never belong to anybody fully. It was just who she was, and yet... Finn had still fallen for her.

He knew her violent, harsh nature. He's seen her at her worst, his lovely Fire Princess, when she wanted nothing more than to destroy everything in her path and begin anew. But, Finn had also seen her at the best moments. When she tenderly kissed his cheek before disappearing into the shadows and the way he could feel it for hours afterward, when she tried to hold his hand in the rain- ignoring her burnt out flames just so they could have one tender moment together, when she cried and little embers began to fall to the ground and she allowed Finn to hold her for as long as he could stand.

But, her father had decided to marry her off to the Lava Prince. Someone who could control her anger without getting hurt. Someone that wasn't Finn.

Heartbroken, Finn had begged the King to let his daughter decide her own fate. But FP obeyed her father, unable to fight back for once in her life. Her spark gone. She had realized there was no hope and had given up, she had given up and lost what had made her her in the process- leaving just a shell of what she used to be: fiery and passionate and his.

That's what had hurt Finn the most when he left, knowing that only her golden stare would follow him out the door.

And nearly a year and a half later- he was still recovering. A shiver still traveled up his spine whenever he thought of her flames licking the crisp air. The way her hair danced in the night. Her laugh. Her smile. Her eyes. Her.

He was still in love.

"Hello Miss Sleeps-a-lot,"

There was a short pearl of laugher, "You mean Sleeping Beauty?" Finn looked up, and then at Jake. Vienna had never laughed before– and the sound was actually quite pleasant. The girl was standing in the doorway in an old t-shirt of his and some shorts while rubbing her eyes. The red-head saw the looks and assumed they were confused by her joke, "Nevermind- it was a joke between me and my dad."

Finn cleared his throat, "So here's the down-low, Vienna. Me and Jake have some hero business we have to do... And you're coming with us. Well... Me."

"You?" Vienna questioned while she drank some water she had snagged from the fridge.

"Yeah, there's been some monster attacking the outer regions of Ooo- PB asked me and Jake to travel to some of the other Kingdoms and check on them. We decided to spilt up to save time and meet up at the Berry Kingdom." Finn explained, looking out the window absent-mindedly as his thoughts slowly returned to the trip ahead.

There was a moment of silence before anyone spoke again, "Well in that case, I have to leave."

Finn's head snapped back, his gaze on the stranger in his home. "What?"

Vienna sighed, taking a small, calculated sip of water before answering. "Do not worry, I will be gone before the afternoon. I cannot thank you enough for everything, but I must go."

Finn's brow furrowed, "No, you can't leave. You're going with us, Vi. Whatever is out there- it's dangerous. You can't go out there alone,"

"I will leave whenever I see fit. Once again, I thank you for everything that you have given me but—"

"No" The teenager interrupted. "You won't leave." Looking at the girl with determination, he spoke firmly— leaving little room or argument. "You're going with us because I promised you that I would keep you safe— and I could never forget a promise like that."

"I will go if it puts you in danger, Finn. You will not have broken any promise by letting me leave— you've already kept me alive this long."

Finn sighed, frustrated with the girl. Why did she have to be so globbing stubborn? She was the one who asked for help, Finn was just trying to do his job as a hero. He took a moment to think before answering, "Fine. If you want to leave, then leave. But," he added before she could make another sound, "You have to at least let me take you to the Fire Kingdom; on the edges of Ooo. After that, you can either stay with me and Jake— or leave."

The girl pursed her lips, frustration obvious on her face. "Fine, I'll go as far as this 'Fire Kingdom'. But tell me, is the kingdom actually made of fire?"

Both Finn and his brother nodded, "But don't worry– Flambo can give us a protection charm. Why?"

Vienna was staring at Finn, a look of humble admiration and curiosity flitting across her face. "How have you survived this Turvy for so long? If there are truly kingdoms of fire and ice... It can't be anymore safe here than out there."

The blond looked back at her, "What do you mean I live in a Turvy? And it's plenty safe in Ooo– I don't know what you're talking about."

She shrugged, "A Turvy is a word our people call places like this." The girl's voice had taken a softer tone, loosely gesturing out the window onto the empty grasslands that surrounded them. "It's a place that was directly hit with a nuclear bomb during the War; most of them are desolate, deadly places that human's cannot survive in for long. The things inside these Turvies are usually mutilated beyond hope— carnivorous, dangerous things that roam around attacking anyone who dare enter. But here... Here it's different."

Nuclear bomb?

Mutilations?

... Deadly?

Finn faintly remembered PB showing him a book a long time ago; but it had described a 'nuclear bomb' as something that was used in horrid wars— a weapon of mass destruction that destroyed entire cities in seconds, melted flesh off bones and left countries in shambles for centuries.

His stomach began to twist uncomfortably. "Oh, is that it?"

Vienna nodded slightly before her eyes flickered up towards Finn. "You must be one brave human, Finn. Truly one-of-a-kind,"

Finn shrugged, picking up the second controller to Beemo's game. "All in a day's work, Vienna. All in a day's work,"

* * *

_A/N: Well... It's been a while— hasn't it? I'm not going to bore you with the standard excuses that most authors give, but simply appologize and promise to try and do better. _

_I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter- the story's turning out a bit more serious than I originally planned, so many thanks to my beta for keeping me on track! Though this story does not have a set match, I do love FP and I know that something would happen with them in the future. If you don't like them together— never fear, there won't be any make-up scenes or anything. _

_Reviews are always appreciated :)_

_~Ella_


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